


Mischief Makers

by ElvenPrincessOfNarnia_Kate



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-05-27
Packaged: 2018-04-01 13:28:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4021606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElvenPrincessOfNarnia_Kate/pseuds/ElvenPrincessOfNarnia_Kate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elladan and Elrohir, the twin sons of Elrond, are always causing trouble, wherever they go. They've earned (and inherited) the title, Mischief Makers of Middle-Earth, which their father had earned once.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Double Trouble

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Mr. Tolkien is the creator of such wonderful characters. Someone else owns the rights to them. I hope they don't mind if I have a little fun with them...**

**Elladan and Elrohir are the equivalent of a seven-year-old human. I do not know how elves age in terms of human years.**

**Enjoy the story!**

* * *

It was a cold, rainy day in Imladris, and the twin sons of Lord Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir were hiding under a table. They had just gotten out of a history lesson with Erestor and wanted to do something fun. Unfortunately, they couldn't play outside because of the rain, and Piril, their math tutor, expected them in ten minutes for lectures, homework, and other boring things.

"Elladan?" Elrohir whispered, "I'm hungry."

"Me too, 'Ro. But if we come out, Piril will come and get us for  _you know what_." Elladan muttered back. His stomach growled. "Alright. We'll make a break for the kitchens. Maybe, just maybe, we'll make it out alive." The elflings crept out from under the table and tiptoed toward the kitchens. Luckily, the kitchen staff were too busy to notice them stealing fruit and cookies. Giggling softly, the twins ran to their favorite hiding place, an abandoned storage closet. They had decorated it with comfy cushions, a small rug, and some toys.

" 'Dan?" Elrohir whined. "I'm thirsty." Elladan groaned, then rummaged through the cushions. He triumphantly produced a bottle of juice he had thoughtfully stored under the cushions the day before. Happily, they dove into their snack.

After the twins finished their snacks, they began playing with their toy warriors. Soon, however, they became bored with them. Elrohir wanted to play outside in the gardens, but it was raining. Elladan wanted to run through the halls of Imladris, but he knew what would most likely happen: MATH CLASS. Suddenly, Elrohir had an idea.

"Elladan! Elladan! Let's play a prank on someone!"

"How?" Elladan asked skeptically. "What kind of prank?"

"What about the bucket of water prank? Yesterday,  _Ada_  told me how he used to put a bucket of water over a closed door and waited until someone opened them and walked out. Let's just say, whoever was in the room wasn't very dry afterward..." Elrohir snickered at the thought. _  
_

"OK. Let's do it. But we'll have to do it later, after class. I wonder what Master Piril is doing right now." Elladan said half-heartedly.

Piril paced impatiently across his study, waiting for his two truant students. Sighing, he checked the hourglass again and walked into the hall to search for them. Spotting Erestor, he ran to inquire about the twins' whereabouts.

"Lord Erestor, have you seen Elladan and Elrohir lately? They are due for a lesson now, but have not come to class. Where do you suppose they are?"

Erestor frowned. "I have not seen them since they ran out of my study after their history lesson. Do you think they are hiding from you, or are merely late?

"Hiding, most likely. I suppose I'll have to traipse all over Lord Elrond's halls to find them." Piril rolled his eyes then started off in search of his students. At that moment, two blurs of dark hair and clothes smashed into him, knocking him down. Piril looked down at his feet to see the twins sprawled across them. Guiltily, they stood up and helped their tutor to his feet. Glowering, Piril stalked into his study, followed by two reluctant students.

An hour later, the twins burst out of the room and ran down the hall. When they reached their hideout, they were eager to try out their prank. Elladan grabbed the bucket, and Elrohir grabbed a rope, a hammer, and some nails. Then, they snuck back into the kitchens to fill up their bucket with water. With all the necessary supplies, they were ready to go. Except for one thing.

" 'Ro." Elladan declared importantly. "I will decide our victim because I'm older."

"By thirty minutes!" Elrohir protested. "If you insist, I'll dump this bucket of water on you. What will  _Naneth_  say about that?" He stuck out his tongue at his brother.

"Fine. Can we at least prank Glorfindel? He's sleeping right now, so he'll be perfect!" Elrohir could not argue with his brother's logic, so Glorfindel it was.

Eagerly, they ran softly down the halls to Glorfindel's room. From outside the door, they could hear Elrond's venerable seneschal snoring like an oliphaunt. Elladan snickered as he stood on a chair to place the bucket on top of the doorway and secured it with the rope. He wanted to test it, but didn't feel like getting drenched with freezing cold water.

" 'Ro. Do y'wanna knock on the door and wake him up, or wait 'til his nappy-wappy is over?"

"Let's knock." Elrohir knocked loudly on the door. When he heard Glorfindel walking to the door, the twins grabbed the chair and hid behind a nearby tapestry to watch the fun. Glorfindel opened the door a crack. Seeing nothing, he threw opened the door, stepped out, and swore loudly as the water drenched him from head to toe. His shock quickly wore off, however, when the bucket fell on his head as well, knocking him unconscious.

"Uh-oh." Elladan muttered. "We're dead." The twins took off down the hall, headed for their  _Naneth's_  room.

A guard, hearing the shouting, ran over to investigate. Seeing the unconscious blonde elf lying on the floor, he immediately tried to revive him by throwing more cold water on him. It didn't help. By this time, several servants gathered around the victim, trying to comfort him. Finally, Vennelin, the  _elleth_  healer, arrived, with Lord Elrond behind her. Vennelin propped Glorfindel's head up on her knees and applied ice to the swelling bump. Glorfindel opened one eye and swore again when he saw the group of people standing around him. Elrond frowned, displeasure radiating from his eyes at his seneschal's language. He pinched the bridge of his nose and stared down at the ground, hoping to Eru that his sons were  _not_  involved in this...

Several minutes later, Elrond walked to his sons' room. Opening the door, two shame-faced elflings faced him, guilt written on their faces.

"We're sorry,  _Ada_! This won't happen again, we promise!" Elladan wailed. "We only wanted to have a little fun today." Lord Elrond sternly scolded his sons for their behavior, then ordered them to get ready for bed, without dinner.

"You must also apologize to Glorfindel for playing such a cruel trick on him. Don't let it happen again." Elrond kissed his sons' foreheads and left the room. Outside, he chuckled, remembering the tricks  _he_  used to play on other elves.

 _Elflings will be elfings,_ he thought with a smile as he walked down to the Hall of Fire for a quiet dinner with his wife.

* * *

**Translation of Elvish words:**

_Ada:_  Father

 _Naneth:_ Mother

 _Elleth:_ Female elf


	2. Double Trouble Plus One

**Elladan and Elrohir: Human equivalent of 7 1/2.**

**Note: I have absolutely no idea how elves age in regard to humans.**

* * *

Peace reigned in the Valley of Imladris. The sun shone brightly in the sky, illuminating the waterfalls and streams trickling through the valley. But the beauty was lost on two particular elflings itching for some excitement after being set free from their lessons for the day. Elladan and Elrohir sat in the dirt of Lady Celebrian's gardens, picking flowers, getting dirty, and scheming. Unfortunately, neither of them could agree on anything to do. Earlier, they played tag, hide-and-seek, and stole snacks from the kitchens. Now Elrohir wanted to do something bigger. MUCH bigger and more exciting.

" 'Dan?" Elrohir asked.

"What?" Elladan replied, pulling up some of Elrond's prized dahlias.

"Do you want to do something fun?" Elrohir's eyes twinkled with mischief. Elladan shrugged and started pulling the flowers apart to look for bugs.

"Like what? Last time we did something "fun" we got in trouble with  _Ada_ _._ " Elladan pouted, remembering the scolding they had received. Elrohir smiled, remembering the look of shock on Glorfindel's face when the bucket on water fell on his head and knocked him out. They didn't mean for the bucket to fall down  _with_  the water.

"How about trip wires? Erestor showed me how he used to use them all the time on  _Ada_  when they were younger. Or we could rub dirt on  _Ada's_  robes! Or we could put pepper in Cook Ithilien's soups. Or we..." Elrohir trailed off when he saw his brother's incredulity.

" _Or_ we could get in serious trouble. I'll be responsible for whatever things we do, because I'm older. By thirty minutes!" Elladan thought for a moment. "What were you saying about trip wires again? Sounds-"

"Interesting?" Glorfindel interrupted. Startled, the twins looked up into the blonde elf's face. He didn't look angry, but the twins prepared to run in case he tried to punish them. "Don't worry, elflings. I'm not angry anymore. That was fifty years ago. But if you're going to do the bucket trick, don't do it on me. Do it on Erestor. Or Lindir. And get more advice and experience." He chuckled. The twins shuffled their feet awkwardly. When Glorfindel wasn't angry or busy, he could be a lot of fun. And he used to be a master prankster.

"Will you help us prank somebody, Glorfy?" Elrohir blurted out. "We can't decide what to do today!"

"Well... I have some important papers to go through later and I wanted to do some archery practice, but I suppose I can help you." Glorfindel squatted down on the ground next to the twins. "I overheard you talking about trip wires. Let's do those for now. We'll start small. I'll help you for as long as I can, but soon you'll be better pranksters than I am!"

"Thanks Glorfy!" the twins chorused. Happily, the trio took off towards the stables, looking for some rope or wires. Fifteen minutes later, they emerged with rope, glue, and oil. Glorfidel led the way towards the kitchens, where the trip wires could be used with full potential.

"Right now, the kitchen staff are resting. Only a few will be there right now, so we can install the trip wires quickly, quietly, and without detection. When they return, however-" Glorfindel snickered slightly, then continued, "Most likely there will be flying dishes and food. And tripping elves, which is a sight to see!" Elladan turned to look at the elf.

"Have you done this before?" he asked.

"Of course! When I served Lord Elrond when he was King Gil-Galad's herald, I would always get in trouble for my pranks. I caused your  _Ada_  a lot of headaches. Now let's get moving!" They made their way into the deserted kitchen. Not even the head cook, Ithilien was there. Swiftly, the former warrior stretched out a rope, cut a long piece, smeared it with oil and glue, and tied the ends to two nearby tables. Then he handed the rope and a knife to Elrohir and motioned him to do what he had done. Elrohir tiptoed to the middle of the kitchen and carried out the instructions perfectly. Glorfindel nodded in affirmation and respect, then took the supplies and handed them to Elladan, who did the same. Quickly, the seneschal distributed the remaining supplies throughout the kitchen, making it a web of wires, glue, and oil. Carefully avoiding the sticky traps, the pranksters exited the premises and hid in the hallways.

Head Cook Ithilien sighed as she bustled toward the kitchen carrying a sack of flour in her arms. As soon as she reached the kitchens, she tripped on one of the ropes, catching her dress in the glue and sending the flour flying all over the kitchen. Several elves who had managed to avoid some of the wires raced over to help her up. Needless to say, they too met the same fate, albeit without the flour accident.

In the hallway, three peeking observers giggled when they saw the catastrophes.

Within minutes, the kitchen activity tripled, which sent more elves sprawling on the floor. Food flew everywhere, spattering the standing elves with all kinds of solids, liquids, and other things. Laughing, some of the elves started throwing food at each other, provoking a food fight. Passing elves who peeked into the kitchen to investigate the commotion were often rewarded with food in their face or on their clothes. Innocently, Glorfindel and the twins snuck into the kitchen and joined in the fight. Everything froze, however, when someone accidentally beaned Lord Elrond with a raspberry chocolate cream pie. In the face.

"What is the meaning of this?" he bellowed, wiping chocolate off his face. "Who is responsible?" Striding into the kitchen, Elrond tripped on one of the wires and landed in a pile of spilled fruit fillings that had been intended for a collection of fruit pies. Looking up, Elrond spotted three guilty faces in the crowd.

"The jig is up!" Glorfindel cried dramatically and raced towards the door, jumping over the wires. Elladan and Elrohir glanced at each other, then followed the fleeing elf.

Elrond sighed and rolled his eyes skyward. "Ai Valar! Why me?"


	3. The Pranksters Strike Again

**Note: This takes place shortly after the last chapter.**

**Celebrian is the twins' mother and wife of Elrond.**

* * *

After the kitchen incident, Lord Elrond banned the twins  _and_  Glorfindel from the kitchens for the next three hundred years. He also let Head Cook Ithilien choose the twins' punishment.

"Elflings!" Ithilien shouted, snapping the twins out of their daydreams. "You will get rid of all these wire rope things. Then you will clean up this kitchen from top to bottom. After that, I think your  _Naneth_  will have something to say about this. The cleaning supplies are in a closet in the hall. Hilrin will show you where it is. Any questions?" After a moment of silence, Elrohir piped up.

"Is Glorfindel going to help clean up with us? He's responsible too!"

"No," interjected Elrond, "I have some work for him to do..." Glorfindel paled, wondering what Elrond could have in store for him.

"Any more questions? No? Alright. Hilrin!" Ithilien called. A dark-haired male elf appeared and led the twins to the closet full of cleaning supplies. Gathering the necessary supplies, the elflings reluctantly followed Hilrin back to the kitchens.

Three hours later, Elladan and Elrohir stumbled out of the kitchens, exhausted and covered in flour, eggs, and other unidentifiable substances. They quickly bathed, changed, and walked down to their parents' room. They found their  _naneth_ sitting on the bed, waiting for them.

"I heard you have been causing trouble lately." Celebrian said softly. "Tell me about it." The twins looked at each other and immediately launched into a confession. After they finished, Celebrian burst out laughing.

" _Naneth_ , why are you laughing?" asked Elladan, completely confused.

"Because,  _ion-nin_ , your pranks sound like something your  _ada_ and his brother would do often." Celebrian answered, wiping away the tears. "Now,  _ions,_  there is the matter of your punishments. Elladan, you will work in the laundry rooms with Neriel for the next three weeks. Elrohir, you will assist Bronea in the stables for the same amount of time. I believe separating you two for a period of time might do you some good." Ignoring the twins' frowns and pouts, she sent them to bed.

Once inside their room, the twins began giggling and plotting their next prank. This time, however, they would not need Glorfindel. And their "punishments" would help them carry out their secret plans.

The next day, after Elladan finished working in the laundry rooms, he snatched an old, tattered sheet from one of the baskets and ran outside. Once in the gardens, he dropped to his stomach and crawled to the secret fortress hidden in a clump of thick bushes and hedges. He waited for five minutes until Elrohir arrived carrying a horse brush and a bucket of horse droppings. Elladan gagged slightly, the smell of the animal waste disturbing his sensitive nostrils.

"Don't worry, brother. You'll get used to it." Elrohir said encouragingly.

"Don't. Want. To. Get. Used. To. It." Elladan moaned. "This might have been a bad idea."

"Fine. If you're too afraid, I'll do it." To prove his point, Elrohir grabbed the sheet and smeared the droppings on the sheet using the brush. He gingerly picked up the edges with his fingertips and folded it up. "There. It's done."

"What are we doing with it again?" Elladan asked.

"We- or I or  _somebody_  is going to set this sheet up in a hallway so that it drops on someone's head."

"Haven't we done enough for one day?  _Ada's_  angry, Ithilien's angry, and now  _Naneth_  is angry at us. All because of two pranks."

"I thought you were with me." Elrohir said, sticking out his tongue. "C'mon, it'll be fun!"

"Alright. Fine. You win. Now, where are we doing this?" Elladan snapped.

"Outside Erestor's room. It won't be that hard. Let's go!" Elrohir jumped up, grabbed his brother's hand and the sheet, and ran off towards the house.

Somehow, Elrohir rigged an elaborate mechanism above Erestor's study door. Normally, at the time, Erestor would be working in his study. The twins could even hear his quill pen scratching across paper. Instead of staying around to watch the fun, the twins left, pretending to have been elsewhere.

During dinner, a furious and very dirty Erestor stormed into the hall. All the elves stopped eating to stare and snicker quietly at Elrond's venerable councillor. Erestor was covered from head to toe in shreds of cloth and clumps of horse manure.

Naturally, Erestor blamed the twins for his appearance.

"Elladan, Elrohir, I  _know_  you did this. If you would like to explain yourselves, do so. Now." Slowly, the twins slid out of their chairs and told Erestor and the whole crowd about their prank. After finishing, the twins turned toward their  _ada_  to find out their punishments. Instead of answering, Elrond merely asked them a question.

"How did the sheet and droppings stick to Erestor? Pray tell." he leaned back in his chair, waiting for an answer. Finally, Elrohir stepped forward.

"I used super sticky glue for it,  _Ada_." Erestor's eyes flashed.

"Do you mean the glue I only use for special occasions?" he demanded. "The glue that only comes unstuck after a long, complicated process? The glue from my locked desk drawer?  _That glue?"_ Elrohir gulped.

"Yes." he stammered. Lord Elrond stared at his son.

"Ai, Valar. What have you done?"

* * *

Translation of Elvish Words:

 _Naneth:_  Mother

 _Ion-nin_ : My son

 _Ions:_  Sons

 _Ada_ : Father

 


	4. A Sticky Situation

"Ouch,  _Ada!_ That hurts!" Elladan complained as his father dragged him and Elrohir down the hall by their ears.

"At this point, you deserve the pain." Lord Elrond snapped. "Whatever possessed you to do this?"

"W-  ** _I_**  thought it would be funny to see Erestor, the cleanest elf in Middle-Earth, dirty for once." Elrohir stammered. He winced as his father tightened his grip on his ear. Elrond scowled at his sons. Once they reached his study, he finally released his iron grip on their ears. The twins gratefully massaged their injured ears as they half-listened to their father's lecturing.

"... insolent elflings... no respect for your elders... Glorfindel bad influence... sending you to Lorien or the Gray Havens... Elladan, Elrohir, are you listening to me?" The twins nodded, then shook their heads. Elrond sighed.

"It is late,  _ions-nin._ Go to bed now. Your  _naneth_ and I will decide your punishment tomorrow." He pushed them out the door and shut it behind them. Elladan shrugged, then trudged down the hall to their bedroom. Elrohir followed him. Inside their bedrooms, they undressed and got ready for bed. After Celebrian and Elrond peeked in to say good night, the twins dropped off to sleep.

The next morning, sunlight streamed into the twins' bedrooms, waking them up. Elladan groaned slightly, knowing that Elrond would tell them their punishment either today or tomorrow. On the other side of the room, Elrohir hummed a short tune as he prepared for the day. He had already forgotten about his father's anger.

Someone knocked on the door. Elladan hastily finished dressing and answered it. Erestor appeared, frowning, in the doorway, still covered in cloth bits and horse manure.

"Yes?" Elladan prompted, observing Erestor's appearance. Despite his anxiety, Elladan snickered to himself at the sight of the normally pristine elf. Erestor glared at him.

"Lord Elrond expects you in his study in five minutes." he snapped.

"What about breakfast?" asked Elrohir.

"You'll have to skip it. I heard Lord Elrond has a long list of chores for you..." Erestor replied. The twins sighed. For several moments, the elflings stared at the elf framing their doorway. Erestor, noticing their stares, turned to leave. Unfortunately, he had leaned against the doorway and some leftover glue prevented him from making a retreat. In fact, Erestor landed on the floor, with his robe hanging on the doorway. Elladan and Elrohir tried to restrain their laughter, but failed. Several passing servants joined in the laughter. It was not everyday that Middle-Earth could see the dignified Erestor in such a undignified predicament. Erestor scrambled to his feet, his face flushed bright red. He snatched the remains of his already-ruined robe up and fled.

"Well done, twins, well done." Glorfindel said, startling the twins. He started to lean against the still-sticky doorpost, thought better of it, and leaned against the other.

"Hello Glorfy." they chorused. "Are you-" Just then, Lord Elrond appeared in the hallway.

"Glorfindel," Elrond started, "There is an enormous stack of paperwork in Erestor's office. As he is too sticky at the moment to attend to it, you shall carry out the task." Glorfindel winked at the twins and left the room.

"As for you two," Elrond frowned, turning toward them, "Your punishment will be to help Vennelin find a solution for Erestor's predicament."

"Doesn't Erestor know the solution already?" interrupted Elrohir. Elrond glared at him.

"No. _Somebody_ , most likely Glorfindel, destroyed the book with the solution inside."

"Oh."

Elrond sighed. He leaned against the doorpost, rubbing his temples. "As I was saying, your new punishment will be in addition to-"

" _Ada?_ " Elladan interrupted. "Don't-"

"What did I tell you two about interrupting? Anyway, it will be in addition to your former punishments. If you need a reminder, Elladan will be in the laundry room, and Elrohir will be in the stables. After those chores, report to the healing wing for further instruction from Vennelin. She will most likely assign you to search for and carry ingredients. Do NOT cause trouble, and do NOT break anything. Understood?" Elrond finished his speech with another glare. The twins looked down at their feet and nodded. Elrond turned to leave.

_RIIIIIIPPPP_

Elladan winced. Elrond stared at the remains of his third-best robe swinging from the doorpost. His face reddened when he heard snickering coming from several of the servants who had lingered around the twins' bedrooms. It was not everyday when Middle-Earth could see  _two_  of its most dignified elves in such a predicament. Elrond collected his shredded pride and stalked off, leaving the tattered robe. After he left, Elladan and Elrohir burst out laughing again.

Later, the twins separated to complete their morning chores. That done, they trudged off to their math lesson. Erestor was unable to teach, so the twins raced to the healing wing. There, they found the dark-haired elf standing in the middle of one of the rooms. Vennelin stood next to him. The twins shuffled their feet awkwardly around the furious elf and hung their heads.

"What can we do to help?" Elladan asked.

"You can apologize, for one." Erestor shot back, his eyes flashing.

"We're sorry." the twins chorused.

Erestor shifted his balance. His head drooped and he had dark circles under his eyes. "If only that clumsy blonde elf hadn't tossed that book into the fire!" Erestor raged.

"Glorfindel?" Elrohir inquired, wanting to learn more about his secret hero.

"No. Actually, it was that arrogant Elvenking, Thranduil." Erestor snapped. His head swung toward Vennelin. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get moving! You too, elflings."

Vennelin dipped her head slightly and turned to her collection of books. She took a large, black, leather-bound book with silver letters off the shelf. Opening it, she skimmed through the contents, marking it as she went. Finally, she found the page she was looking for. She set the open book on a nearby table and began rummaging through her herb and potion supply. The twins walked over to her and helped carry jars and containers over to the book.

"Nadalle!" Vennelin called suddenly. A dark-haired  _elleth_  about the twins' age came into the room and curtsied.

"Yes,  _Naneth?"_  she answered.

"Take the elflings out to the garden and look for some  _mionie_  moss,  _heoplin_ herb, and  _ledmii_ leaves. I saw some of the leaves growing on the trees there. Elflings, are you willing to climb some trees?" Vennelin asked, with a mischievous smile. The twins grinned and rushed out to the gardens, followed closely by Nadalle.

In the garden, Nadalle and the twins introduced themselves and got to know each other better. The twins found that Nadalle was an only child, her father had been killed fighting Orcs, and that she hoped they, meaning the twins, could be her friends. Elladan and Elrohir quickly agreed.

"Ooh!" Nadalle gasped and pointed at the highest tree in the garden. "There are  _ledmii_ leaves in that tree!"

"Which one?" Elladan muttered. He wasn't very particular about climbing extremely high trees, and hoped it wasn't the one he thought it was...

"The tall one, 'Dan. Are you blind or what?" Elrohir teased. "Go get some and show off your  _excellent_  climbing skills to Nadalle."

"Fine." Elladan grumbled. He walked over to the tree, stared at its branches for a moment, and began climbing. Nadalle and Elrohir followed his climb, sometimes shouting encouragement. Finally, he reached the top. There was, however, a slight problem.

"Um, Nadalle?" he shouted. "What do  _ledmii_ leaves look like?" _  
_

"They are three-leaved and are sort of shiny." she called back. "There's plenty up there!"

"Alright." He began to pull off handfuls of the leaves. Suddenly, several bees burst out of a hidden hole behind the leaves and began attacking him. Keeping a firm grip on the leaves, Elladan tried to hang on to the tree's branches and ward off the bees at the same time. He stepped onto a branch and-

_CRACK_

The branch broke under Elladan's weight. He began to tumble down the tree. Hitting a branch, he felt a sharp pain in his right arm. Another branch catapulted him into the fish pond in the middle of the garden, close to the tree. He hit the water hard, jarring his hurt arm. Glorfindel, who had been loitering around the garden, watching the elflings, dove into the pond and dragged a limp Elladan out and set him gently on the ground. Elladan's right arm stuck out at a strange angle, and blood began staining the sleeve of his tunic. Elrohir and Nadalle ran over.

"Elladan! Speak to me!" Elrohir cried, tears running down his cheeks as he knelt beside his brother.

Elladan slowly stirred. "I got the  _ledmii_  leaves!" he whispered triumphantly, gripping them tightly.

Nadalle looked at him and then at the leaves. She gasped. "Elladan, that's poison ivy!"

* * *

Translation of Elvish words:

 _Ions-nin:_ My sons

 _Naneth:_  Mother

 _Elleth:_ Female elf

* * *

**Author's note:**

**The plant names in italics are my own invention. They do not exist in Tolkien's Middle Earth.**

**I do not know if elves are affected by poison ivy. I just thought it would be funny to put that in there.**


	5. A Conundrum

Glorfindel carried Elladan down the hall toward Elrond's study. Elrohir and Nadalle trailed slightly behind him. At the door to the study, Glorfindel told Elrohir to knock on the door. After a while, they finally heard Elrond's voice say, "Enter." The four elves trooped inside to meet a very tired and frustrated elven lord. Elrond looked from Elladan in Glorfindel's arms, to Elrohir, and then to Glorfindel.

"Lord Glorfindel, kindly explain to me why my  _ion_  is lying in your arms with a broken arm and a large rash on his hands?" Elrond asked, massaging his temples. "You." he said, pointing to Nadalle. "Get me some of your mother's tea for headaches. And ask her to deliver it herself." Nadalle curtsied, smiled at Elrohir, and left the room.

"Well, it's like this." Elrohir interrupted, ignoring his  _ada's_  glare. "Vennelin sent me and 'Dan and Nadalle out to collect some things that she needed to make the un-glue-potion-thing for Erestor. 'Dan climbed a tree in the garden-"

"The highest tree in the garden, my lord." Glorfindel put in. "Apparently, by the stings on his arms, he disturbed some bees and managed to fall out of the tree and into the pond, breaking his arm in the process."

"I see." Elrond replied. "Yet you did not take him to the Healing Wing? He appears to be in desperate need of medical help." Glorfindel flushed, and suddenly became very interested in studying the rug pattern on the floor. Elrohir couldn't help thinking that Glorfindel looked similar to a naughty elfling that had been caught. He smiled to himself, wondering if  _he_  looked like Glorfindel whenever he was in trouble. "Glorfindel?" Elrond asked, staring at his councillor.

"What? Oh yes, I was just studying your  _excellent_  new rug. You have very good taste, my lord."

Elrond sighed. Sometimes Glorfindel could be just as much a handful as his elflings. Maybe more. A knock sounded on the door.

"Enter."

Vennelin stepped inside, carrying a tray of tea items.

"Here is your tea,  _hir-nin_. Do you require anything else?"

Elrond took the tray without a word and poured himself a cup. After draining it, he laced his fingers together on his desk. He thanked Vennelin for the tea. Glorfindel shifted his weight. Elladan was becoming rather heavy to hold and began wiggling in his arms. A few awkward moments passed before Elrond spoke again.

"Vennelin, take Elladan to the Healing Wing and attend to his arm. Elrohir, go to your room immediately. And-" Elrond gestured at Nadalle, "Go with your mother to attend to this naughty elfling."

Glorfindel gently stood Elladan on the floor. Elladan glanced at his father, then followed Vennelin and Nadalle out the door. Elrohir trotted after his twin brother. At the Healing Wing, Vennelin gently shooed Elrohir outside into the hall, and began taking care of Elladan.

Three hours later, Elladan met Elrohir and Nadalle in the garden. Elladan held his arm stiffly, trying not to jar the heavily bandaged limb against anything.

"What do you want to do, 'Dan?" Elrohir asked, after a long silence.

"Do?" sputtered Elladan. " _I_  don't want to do anything, thank you very much. It's  _your_  plans that always get us in trouble, and it was  _you_  who volunteered me to climb that tree. Do you see what you did to me? I don't think you should  _do_ anything until my arm is healed, 'Ro." By this time, Elladan's voice had risen to almost a scream. Nadalle covered her ears.

"I'm sorry 'Dan." mumbled Elrohir, deeply hurt and disappointed.

"I'm sorry too, 'Ro. I shouldn't have screamed at you. And I'm sorry for hurting your ears, Nadalle." Elladan whispered, hanging his head. Another awkward silence passed. After a while, they heard Vennelin calling for Nadalle. Nadalle hurriedly said goodbye and raced off, leaving the twins together by themselves.

"Alright fine, 'Ro, you win." Elladan finally muttered. "But this time,  _I_ get to choose what we do and who we do it to."

"Who? What?" Elrohir exclaimed, happy that his brother was interested in doing something with him.

"You know how Erestor is always complaining about the thing we did to him recently?"

"Yes." Elrohir smiled.

"Well, let's do something for him."

"Like what?" Visions of sleeping powders, ropes, and paints came into Elrohir's mind.

"Oh, I don't know. Something nice, to make up for what we did to him. We could ask one of the cooks to help us make a special dish for him, or give him some new quill pens, parchments, inks, and books."

"That was not what I was thinking about." Elrohir moaned.

"Fine. What were you thinking about?" Elladan demanded. Just then, they heard their  _naneth_  calling for them.

"I'll tell you later. Meet me in our secret hiding spot after dusk." Elrohir commanded, then dashed into the halls.

"But-" Elladan sighed, then ran after his brother.

**After dusk**

Elladan opened the door of their closet hiding spot. Elrohir wasn't there. Sighing, he crept out to the garden. Lanterns lining the path and soft beams of moonlight illuminated his way to the giant hedge. Elladan crawled under the hedge, and almost stabbed himself with a pair of protruding scissors. Elrohir hastily set the scissors down on the ground.

" 'Ro, you know we're not supposed to be out here after dark." Elladan complained. "What did you want? Why couldn't we talk in the bedroom, or at least in our other hideout."

"Because." Elrohir replied.

"Because...?"

"Because."

"Fine. Be that way." Elladan pouted, crossing his arms and turning away.

"Here's the plan." Elrohir began, ignoring his brother's sulks. "We're going to sneak into Erestor's room. I slipped him some of  _Ada's_  special herbs that make people fall asleep. He says he uses them on patients, but I think he uses them after we, or Glorfindel, get into some kind of trouble."

Despite himself, Elladan began giggling slightly. The idea of his  _Ada_  taking special herbs to sleep and get rid of head aches was so true, yet so funny.

"Just follow me. I'll show you what to do." continued Elrohir, and he wiggled out of the hedge and tiptoed back into the house. Elladan followed him, his heart pounding with excitement. Elrohir led the way to Erestor's bedroom, picked the lock with the scissors, and opened the door. Erestor was lying splayed out on the bed, snoring softly. The twins doubled over in silent laughter. Elrohir crossed over to the bed and motioned Elladan to do the same. Mystified, Elladan obeyed. Elrohir handed Elladan a small dagger and put a finger over his lips. Then, Elrohir gingerly lifted a handful of Erestor's glue-filled, dirt-bombarded, filthy hair, and cut it off with the scissors! Elladan gasped.

"C'mon, 'Dan. You wanted to do something nice for Erestor. Let's give him that haircut he's always wanted." Elrohir prodded. Elladan shrugged, then used the dagger to cut more of Erestor's no-longer-silky-or-black hair. After they finished, they returned to their bedrooms, washed their hands, then went to bed.

**The next morning...**

Elladan and Elrohir woke to a piercing scream. Apparently, so had the rest of Lord Elrond's household. The twins heard running feet outside their room. Elladan looked guiltily at Elrohir, then cracked open the door. Servants and guards filled the hallway, as they tried to pinpoint the location of the scream. The twins glanced at each other, shrugged, and dressed.

At breakfast, the meal was interrupted by a very furious Erestor. Several elves snickered. Erestor truly was a sight to behold. Not only was he glue and dung encrusted, but his normally perfect hair had been cut to different lengths and dyed a bright pink. Elrohir turned to Elladan.

" _That's_ what you were doing with that bottle. I was wondering about that." he whispered.

* * *

Translation of Elvish words:

 _Ion-_  son

 _Ada_ \- father

 


	6. Best Prank Ever

**Note: The twins are now the equivalent of 8 1/2 year olds. Nadalle is a little older than eight years.**

* * *

 

Elladan sighed. He rubbed his aching back as he scrubbed the cobblestones in the garden. Erestor stood nearby, watching his every move. Even though Elladan was supposed to be working hard and seriously, he had to stifle a giggle each time he looked at the older elf. Despite a century of scrubbing and herbal remedies, Erestor still had traces of glue on different parts of his body and his hair was still bright pink. Nowadays, it was very hard for the elves of Imladris to take Erestor seriously.

"That's good enough for today, elfling." Erestor snapped. "Get to your next task."

Groaning, Elladan stood up and stumbled to the kitchens. He asked himself for the umpteenth time why he had dyed Erestor's hair. A week after the midnight escapade with Erestor, Elladan and Elrohir were finally "convicted" of the crime. Even though he and Elrohir had known that Elrond would give them a severe punishment, he hadn't expected it to last this long.

" _A hundred years is but a blink of an eye in the life of an elf_." he scoffed. In his case, a century of scrubbing floors, washing laundry, and cleaning outhouses felt like a million years, not a blink of an eye.

Elrohir, on the other hand, was enjoying his punishment immensely. He almost didn't mind the extra mountains of homework that Erestor piled on him. To Elrohir, the results of the mini-pranks he had pulled over the last century made up for any inconveniences. Because his  _ada_  had given him kitchen and stable duties, Elrohir had all the resources he needed for any past or future pranks. As he made his way to the kitchens, he chuckled as he remembered some of the pranks he had pulled.

_Dyeing Asfaloth green._

_Substituting the salt for the sugar in Arwen's birthday cake._

_Faking a bloody, cut arm using cherry preserves to scare Arwen._

_Scooping horse dung into Lindir's favorite shoes._

_Pouring water on the kitchen fires._

_Secretly blowing out the fire right after the servants try to relight it._

_Pouring water on the fire again._

_Sprinkling the wood with a fire-resistant powder._

_Convincing Nadalle and Elladan to eat a meal he had prepared._

_Convincing them to swallow an herb to make them stop throwing up._

_Convincing them to drink a potion to help them sleep._

Elrohir laughed the hardest at the last one. Even though it hadn't seemed funny to Nadalle and Elladan, Elrohir had found it slightly amusing to see them running wildly around the Last Homely House, shouting at the top of their lungs and giggling madly for days on end. After two weeks, Vennelin had finally concocted a potion to rid them of the effects of Elrohir's strange creations.

As Elrohir neared the kitchens, he ran straight into Elladan. When the two collided, both of them found themselves staring at each other on the floor.

"I have a GREAT idea for a prank." Elladan stated.

Elrohir stared suspiciously at his twin. "Who are you and what have you done with 'Dan?" he demanded.

Elladan chuckled. "I found out how much fun it is to prank people."

 _"Ai Valar,"_  Elrohir thought,  _"What have I done to him?"_

"Anyway," Elladan continued, " _Ada_ is having a banquet next week to celebrate Lindir's begetting day. I thought we could liven up the party a little."

"What are you thinking?" Elrohir asked, completely hooked on the idea. He helped his twin up from the floor.

"You'll see, brother. You'll see." replied Elladan, smiling mischievously.

**MM MM MM MM MM**

Five days later, the twins began to carry out their nefarious plan. They recruited Nadalle to help with some of the preparations, but didn't tell her their plans. Elladan collected vats of old honey from a forgotten kitchen closet and bedsheets. Elrohir managed to sneak several hay bales and bags of feathers into the twins' indoor hiding spot. Nadalle gave the twins five pots of gel-like glue, (real) sleeping potions, and two sticks of peppermint (as a special treat). Once the twins had most of their materials, they set to work with a will.

At dinner, Elrohir slipped the sleeping potion into the food and drink. To avoid accidentally eating or drinking the potion, the twins merely threw Arwen into the garden fountain and were subsequently sent to bed without dinner. Once the twins figured everyone was asleep, they crept to their hiding spot and drew out the giant sheet-bags they had made earlier. They filled one with honey, one with hay, one with feathers. Next, they dragged the bags to the Hall of Fire and prepared to hang the bags right above the giant chandelier, where they wouldn't be easily spotted. At that point, Elrohir discovered a problem.

"Um, 'Dan. How are we going to hang the bags?" he whispered.

"I have no idea..." Elladan replied.

Just then, someone grabbed their shoulders and spun them around. Barely restraining shrieks of fear, the twins looked up to see Glorfindel staring down at them.

"What are you doing?" he whispered. He looked over at the bags, then back at the twins. A devilish grin spread across his face. "Do you need help by any chance?"

The twins nodded.

"You're planning to crash Lindir's begetting day party, aren't you?"

The twins nodded.

"And you need help hanging some things."

The twins nodded.

"Good." Glorfindel rubbed his hands together excitedly. "I have been wanting to get revenge on Lindir for several thousand years."

The twins looked expectantly at Glorfindel for the story. The mighty blonde warrior cleared his throat several times.

"We'll save that for another time. Anyway, let's get to work then. Elladan, you grab some ropes. Elrohir, grab me a ladder or two. And, oh, find me something that can be used as a hook. Thank the Valar I left the ring up there..." Glorfindel trailed off.

"When I was younger, I would get into trouble often. Once, I secretly installed a ring up on the roof above the chandelier so I could hang a rope or swing from it." he laughed. "Let's just say your  _ada_ was not very happy when I accidentally destroyed a very beautiful, very old, very expensive vase while swinging."

The twins stared.

Glorfindel sent them off on their tasks and inspected the materials. He gave a few grunts of surprise and approval. When the twins returned, Glorfindel set up the ladders immediately. Hauling a bag up the ladder, Glorfindel managed to climb up onto the chandelier after several minutes of hard work. Groaning, he pulled himself and the bag up the supporting rope of the chandelier and fixed the bag on his ring. With some extra twine, he even rigged a trigger mechanism to open the bag when someone pulled the string. After finishing, he climbed down and set up the two other bags.

"I have one more idea, my fellow conspirators." Glorfindel whispered, winking roguishly.

The twins stared.

"Spiders."

"Spiders?" Elladan echoed incredulously.

"Yes, spiders. Lindir is extremely afraid of spiders. Why don't we place another, smaller bag in here that's full of spiders?"

The twins stared.

"Sounds like a great idea!" Elrohir exclaimed, answering for them both.

Elladan sighed and rushed off. When he returned, he was carrying a jar of spiders.

"Is this enough?" he asked.

"Perfect." Glofindel replied. "Absolutely perfect."

**MM MM MM MM MM**

Lindir's begetting day approached. The twins were busier than ever preparing for the event. For two days, the house staff ordered them around, telling them to fetch things, clean floors, and get out of the way. Finally, the time of the banquet approached.

Before the guests arrived in the Hall of Fire, the twins painted the backs and seats of each chair with the glue Nadalle had given them. Right after they finished, heralds announced the arrival of the Lord and Lady of Imladris, their distinguished guests, and their guest of honor. Since the twins were not old enough to attend the party, the they ran out of the hall and into the garden. There, they planned to climb onto the roof and hide in a secret alcove above the Hall of Fire. From there, they could watch the party and also pull the hidden trigger wires.

To their surprise, they found Glorfindel hiding there already.

"I wasn't invited." Glorfindel stated serenely. He didn't look too unhappy about it.

"Shh." Elladan put a finger to his lips then pointed down at the gathering. Elrond was introducing his guest of honor, Lindir, and preparing to begin the meal. Once everyone was seated, the servants brought out the food. The guests began eating.

"When does the glue begin to set?" Elrohir asked. He noticed that several guests had gotten out of their seats and were walking around the room.

"Soon." Elladan replied. "The glue should set in about half an hour, which should happen around the time  _ada_  gives a speech for Lindir."

Half an hour later, Elrond stood to give his speech. Instead of see him gracefully rise to his feet, the guests saw him and his chair pitch forward into his wine. From their vantage point on the roof, the threesome could see that Elrond's best robe had torn in the process.

"When do I pull the honey rope?" Elrohir whispered to Elladan.

"Wait for it, wait for it" Elladan replied, staring intently at the scene below,  _ **"NOW!"**_

Elrohir tugged on the yellow-painted string to release the honey bedsheet-bag.

Below, the guests were treated to a rain shower of honey falling from the roof. Many of the indignant elves found themselves unable to free themselves from their chairs and were forced to hop feebly around the table in a pathetic attempt to escape.

Next, Elladan prepared to pull the blue painted string. He tugged it.

A cloud of feathers fell from the bag, coating the honey-covered elves. Several loud curses pierced through the hubbub of confused chattering. Lord Elrond's voice could be heard rebuking the speakers for their language. The hidden threesome could scarcely restrain their laughter.

After that, Elladan handed the green painted string to Glorfindel.

"Is this one for the spiders?" Glorfindel asked.

"No, it's for the hay."

"Can I do the spider string instead?"

"Alright." Elladan sighed.

Glorfindel handed the green string back to Elladan, who passed it to Elrohir. Shrugging, Elrohir pulled the string, releasing the hay.

By this time, chaos reigned in the Hall of Fire. Several unlucky servants who happened to be in the hall had also been hit by the storm of falling substances. Any servant who tried to help the unfortunate guests usually found themselves flat on their backs after slipping on the honey-slicked floor.

"Spider time!" Glorfindel chortled happily. He grabbed the red string and jerked it. All the spiders in the bag fell onto Lindir's head. His screams echoed through Imladris and deafened every wild animal in the vicinity.

"Our work here is done." Glorfindel smiled.

The twins stared.

"Glorfindel?" Elrohir said after a brief, silent period of gloating.

"What?" Glorfindel answered.

"You are my hero."

**_Finish_ **


End file.
